Harris bound over on charges

Stacy Langley

Published
8:00 pm EDT, Thursday, June 10, 2004

Thursday's preliminary examination was a continuation from last week's exam where Ron Harris, 37, of Bad Axe, formerly of St. Clair Shores, is charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanor charges from the May incident. Prosecutors allege Harris first assaulted his fiancee and attempted to run her over several times with the couple's SUV before trying to out run the police.

Huron County District Court Judge Karl E. Kraus opened Thursday afternoon telling Harris and his attorney James Woodworth that he felt the testimony in last week's preliminary examination offered sufficient evidence to bind Harris over to circuit court on one count of felonious assault with sufficient evidence to support a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence also following Harris up to the higher court.

A charge of felonious driving that Allen tried to squeeze in at the last minute last week was dismissed by Allen during Thursday's preliminary exam when all sides returned to court on Thursday.

Woodworth argued that the injuries Harris's former fiancee Lisa Taylor sustained did not meet the standard of serious injuries as required by the charge of felonious driving. This week Allen agreed.

Allen told the judge that after taking a closer looking at the criteria to satisfy the charge of felonious driving that the evidence didn't rise to the level, so Allen dismissed that charge completely.

Thursday Taylor wasn't present in court, but she testified a week ago that she and Harris smoked cocaine on May 7, when Harris allegedly assaulted her several times, threatened to kill and rape her while rummaging through a compartment in the couple's Chevy Blazer looking for a knife. Taylor also testified that the knife wasn't ever produced by Harris or ever found in the vehicle by police.

Taking the stand Thursday was Trooper Craig S. MacPhee, of the Michigan State Police Post in Bad Axe, who helped arrest Harris in the Self Serve Parking Lot of Bad Axe after an extensive chase by police.

MacPhee told the court he was dispatched to the area of M-19 and M-142 on a "BOL" (be on the lookout) for a Chevy Blazer after a reported domestic dispute at The Corner Truck Stop gas station, also known as the Citgo, in that area.

MacPhee said he headed south toward Ubly on M-19, when he was radioed by Huron County Sheriff's Deputy Dan Zarodkiewicz, who was in full pursuit of the vehicle Harris was driving.

MacPhee told the court that while both he and Zarodkiewicz were pursuing Harris speeds on the gravel roads reached upwards of 60 to 70 mph.

When Harris reached the paved portion of Nugent Road heading toward the city of Bad Axe, he was at times 200-300 feet in front of the patrol units traveling in excess of 90 mph, MacPhee said.

MacPhee also testified that Harris's vehicle swerved back and forth on the roadway during the chase and at one point forced an oncoming pickup truck and a car off to the far ditch bank of the roadway.

Before the pursuit reached the city of Bad Axe, MacPhee told the court he passed Zarodkiewicz's patrol car and tried to keep Harris from traveling into the city of Bad Axe.

In attempts to stop Harris, MacPhee told the court he rammed the blazer causing it to spin out at Osentoski's Farm Equipment lot on Nugent Road. Harris regained control and headed back toward the city on M-142 when MacPhee again rammed the vehicle sending Harris's vehicle into the Franklin Inn parking lot. Harris again regained control and headed back out onto M-142 when MacPhee caused him to lose control, and the blazer slammed into a fence at Self Serve Lumber where police were able to arrest Harris.

Zarodkiewicz and MacPhee both testified that during the chase Harris bumped Zarodkiewicz's vehicle causing minor damage to the patrol unit, but MacPhee's patrol car was totaled by the time the chase ended.

While MacPhee was on the stand Woodworth asked about the police video from the Michigan State Police patrol car. MacPhee told Woodworth that during the chase he attempted to activate the video recorder but was pressing the wrong button while pursuing Harris at a high rate of speed down a gravel road.

The recorder in Zarodkiewicz's patrol car was activated. Allen finished making his case Thursday without ever showing the tape of the chase to the judge.

Even without the videotape, Kraus found sufficient evidence to bind Harris over on additional charges of third-degree fleeing and eluding police officers and felonious assault. Misdemeanor charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, second offense; operating while license suspended, second offense; and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs will accompany the felony charges to circuit court.

Harris is free on bond set by the district court at $55,000/10 percent with conditions he is to have no contact with any witnesses or the victim in the case. He's scheduled to appear at 1:30 p.m. June 28 for his arraignment on the charges.

If convicted of the most serious of the offenses, Harris faces a sentence of up to five years in prison.